Career change - ever thought about it?

[Sharingan]

This question has been playing on my mind for quite a while now.

I've always worked in the financial sector, and have done fine so far. However, lately I've been thinking that this simply isn't the thing that I want to be doing until my retirement. It's not that my current position pays poorly, or that my colleagues are annoying gnats, or that the department head is a prick ... nothing like that. But, the work I'm doing - it's just not giving me satisfaction anymore.

Now, to be giving up the job I'm doing and have been doing for years for a new job that I have no experience with could be construed as madness. I mean, I would be starting anew, the education I've had and the experience I've acquired will be for naught, I might suffer a salary drop. But, to carry on doing something that I find unappealing for the next 30-40 years just doesn't make sense to me. So, I've made the decision to give up my current post - starting March 20, I will be starting a career in the ICT sector. Quite a turnaround, but I'm positive it will be a good choice.


So, have any of you ever considered a career change? Would you (dare) do it if you had the chance, even if it meant you had to start from scratch? Perhaps some of you have done so already? Share your stories, motivations, experiences. It might spark some interesting discussion!

[Buleste]

At the moment i'm going through a career change. I'm training to be a systems engineer. For me it's been very painfull on the pocket and hard to find motivation but i'm hoping it'll work out in the end. My father worked all his life in a dead end job and was miserable, forced into early retirement due to ill health and died not long after. Thats not the way i want to go. As far as i can see if you are unhappy in your job then plan your career change make sure that you can afford it. If you can't afford it now then save and do it later, if you can afford it then go for it.

[Buleste]

Just had a phone call, with the possibility of an interview, so thanks Sharingan. Can you start a post about winning the lottery and see if you can influence that for me as well?

[Harrison]

The only comment I would make is that the financial sector is about the only secure industry to be working in at the moment. The government and large businesses make a big song and dance about the IT industry and the number of jobs available, but in reality the IT market place is currently flooded and more people are made redundant every year from IT companies going bankrupt compared to the number of new jobs available.

But if you can find the right area of IT to specialise in the opposite is also very true, with people able to earn a lot of money. The only danger there is that if you specialise too much you could end up now finding another job in exactly your field if you had to look for one later.

[Sharingan]

Just had a phone call, with the possibility of an interview, so thanks Sharingan. Can you start a post about winning the lottery and see if you can influence that for me as well?

You're welcome, buddy!

@ Harrison

Yeah, I do realise I might be taking a big risk, but hey, if all else fails, I can still go back to the financial sector. I'm not even in it for the money really, but more for doing meaningful work that actually interests me.

Over the past years, I've been asked by my company to take up further financial studies, but I've found that I just couldn't get myself to digest that sort of material anymore. That alone is an indication that something had to change.

[Buleste]

I wasn't kidding. Start a thread about winning the lottery NOW!!!!!!!

[Sharingan]

Here


There you go.

[Buleste]

Thanks. If i win i'll split some with you.

[Tiago]

Well i also thought about changing my job, but....

I am working in IT consulting (banks). It's well payed, and it's a very safe sector, with a lot of companies asking for people. I can actually chose for who i what to work.
I would like to change, but i will not get the same "securty" in other sector... so i'll keep going in same sector.

[Buleste]

Interview on Monday at 3:30pm at this place. Only a tempory contract but we'll see how it goes.